The present disclosure relates generally to firearms and, more particularly, pertains to a mounting system added to the receiver of a shotgun for selectively attaching ancillary equipment thereto.
Various types of devices are useful as accessories for being mounted to firearms, such as shotguns. Examples of such accessories include scopes and other sighting equipment, illuminating devices, and shotgun shell or cartridge holders. Such accessories are conventionally mounted to an interface apparatus descriptively referred to as an accessory mount which has been variously secured to the shotgun. The accessory mount may include a rail interface system well known in the art pertaining to firearms. For example, it is known to attach one or more rails using fasteners that secure the rail longitudinally along a surface of a shotgun receiver.
There remains a need for an accessory mount capable of securing accessories to a receiver of a shotgun that conforms to the shape and size of the receiver, and provides mounting surfaces adjacent the top and side surfaces of the receiver. There is an additional need for such an accessory mount that is constructed with a dovetail rail arrangement having a frictional interface for slidably receiving and retaining accessories thereon. Further, there is a need for an accessory mount which will not add significant weight to the shotgun, and will provide reduction of heat generated by the receiver during firing of cartridges therein.